Improvement in steam-engines



yJ. FISH. STEAM ENGINE.

No. 40,615. vPanmited Nov. 17, 185s.

namely, C through D, and c through d. 'piston-rod c, I connect to the cross-head E by UN 4ITlt-I'f STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN FISH, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

IMPROVEMENT IN STEAM-ENGINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 40,615, dated November 17, 1863.

To (LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN FISH. ot' New York, in the county of New York'and State of New York, have invented anew and useful Improvement.v in Steam-Engines; and I do hereby declare that the following is a t'ull and exact description thereof', reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part oths speciiication. and to the letters ot' reference marked thereon. in which-` Figure l is a longitudinal elevation. Fig. 2 is an end elevation; Fig. 3, a plan. Fig. 4 is a detailed drawing of clutch L. Fig. 5 is a' detailed drawing of balance clutch-wheel H. Fig. 6 is a detailed drawing of cross-head E.

Ihe nature ot' my inrention consists, first,

in a single-cylinder engine, having two pistons, with their rods, each working through the opposite cylinder heads', the arrangement and construction of a cross-head in connection with the piston-rod ot' one piston, so as to allow the piston-rod, cross-head, and connecting-rod of the other piston to work through it, by which means two connecting-rods of equal length can be obtained, each working upon opposite cranks upon the same shaft; second, in a single cylinder engineJthe arrangement of a vacuum or pumping'engine iuvsuch a manner that the balance-Wheel ofthe vacuum or pumping engine is hun g ori-u n's upon t-he shat't of' the main engine, so that by moving a clutch upon the shaft ot' the main engine into gear with the balance clutch-wheel of the vacuum or` pumping engine, both engines can be connected at right angles or they can be worked independent of each other.

lTo enable those skilled in tne art to make and use my invention, Iv will proceed to describe its construction and operation.

I construct my. engine with one steam-cylinder,(marked A in Figs. l and 3,) with two pis'- tons,'B b.. .The steam-cylinder has one central induction-port'to admit steam between the two pistons, casin g them both to recede.

Steam is admitted forthe return-stroke throughv a port at each end 'of the cylinder, the'steam in this case acting between the cylinder-heads and the pistons, with their pistou-rods each working through its owny cylinder head- The means of the cross-tail o and side rods, P I.

In the cross-head E there is a space or aperture to allow the piston-rod c', cross-head e', and connecting-rod f to ,work through upon its own crank, g. There is also a journalwrist upon cross-head E in line with the crankpin ot' crank Gr. The journal on crosshead E and crank Gr are connected by 'means of the connecting-rod F, which is equal in length to the connecting-rod f of the pistonconnection b c ef g'. p

I am aware that two pistons in one cylinder, each Working through the opposite cylinderhead, is not new. I am also aware that two pistons, with their rods and connections, each working upon opposite cranks upon the same' shaft, have been used by Bodmer, of Manchester, England; but in the. latter case the connecting-rods were of an unequal length,

thereby throwing and causing an unequal strain upon the cranks.-

' My improvement consists 1n obtaining .in i

the above-described engine two connectingrods ot equal length by means of thecrosshead, as above described.

Single-cylinder engines having one crank or two cranks, one of them-opposite the other, are liable to stop upon the center. I arrange my vacuum or pumping engine I J (see Figs. 1, 2, 3) in such a manner that its balance clutch-wheel H is hung or runs upon the main engine-shaft K, so that by sliding the clutch L along the shaft (which it is free todo, but can vonly revolve with the shaft) into gear with the balance clutch-wheel H the twoengines can be connected at right angles to each other, by which means the vacuum or pumping engine can be used to turn the main engine -oi the center, or they can `be lworked independent otl each other.

I am aware that double engines have been arranged by means of. aclutch or other similar device to work together or independent of each other. v This is not new. My' improvement consists in arranging the balance-wheel of my vacuum or pumping engine in such a.` manner that the power of this engine can be used to turn the main engine oftthe' center.

Therefore,

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

through theopposite cylinder-heads, the aran opl-insite crank upon the 5am@ shaft', suh rangement oft-he cross-head E, in connection stanti'ally as specified, andin the manner herein with the piston-rod of piston B; whereby the setiorth. p'storbrod, crosshead, and connecting-rod of pistou b @an work through thespce or apar-'- ture of cross-head E upon their pwu crank,4 Witnesses: by which means twoconnecting-rods of equal: j EDWARDy M. SKIDMQRE, n length can he obtained, each working upon JAMES H. ANDERSON.

JOHN FISH. 

